Where to Walk in Portland

Repaving of the 21-mile multi-use Springwater Corridor -- one of my favorite places to walk -- will take place starting in April and will continue through August. The repaving will involve periodic closures of the trail. Detours will be provided, and no continuous segment longer than two miles will be closed at any one time. But several small segments could be closed simultaneously. Bummer. But it will be so nice when it's all done.

In the interim, we've got lots of great books full of wonderful walks in and around Portland to get your through the construction phase. Two of our favorites are the ones by Laura O. Foster: Portland City Walks (for when you want your walks to be relatively flat) and Portland Hill Walks (for when you feel like going up and down). Metro publishes a great little pocket guide to local walks, Walk There! 50 Treks In and Around Portland and Vancouver. Or there's the little guide from Falcon, Walking Portland, by Sybilla Avery Cook.

If you want to get a little more rugged, there's Portland Forest Hikes: Twenty Close-In Wilderness Walks, by James D. Thayer. Or if you want to go even further afield, we've got lots and lots of guide books for you, including all of the William Sullivan books, and the new edition of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Portland, by Paul Gerald.

Walk on over -- we'll take care of your guidebook needs!